Bella the Ugly Duckling
by Miss Silent Soldier
Summary: What is life worth if you have no hope and just wish to be accepted? Will the taunting and bullying ever stop? Will you ever find love? or will it help you when your only escape is to run? Can the ugly duckling ever be a beautiful swan?


**Sit back, relax and enjoy but I do not own Twilight or The Ugly Duckling**

**Note:** It's the beauty on the inside that counts! ^_^ Enjoy!

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I failed.

To fail life is to be me, a desperate soul with no hope.

I failed my parents, my sisters, my so-called friends, society, everyone. I failed being Bella Marie Cullen. I will never be beautiful, whole, and loved. I am different, an outcast.

Both inside and outside, I will never be a true Cullen. I do wander what it feels like to be part of a family and now I question my sanity as to why I ran. I am such a failure that I ran away from my only family even though I would never truly be part of it.

I wish things were different. I would be beautiful and not tainted with ugliness. If only dreams could come true, if only I had acceptance, if only I was to be granted another life, I could be a graceful swan not 'Bella the ugly Ducking'.

_Flashback__ – Bella age 6_

Bella glanced around the corner to see her two sisters giggling in front of their golden framed mirror.

'Look at us Rose. We are princesses just like in the fairytales, only prettier!'

Bella smiled at Alice's silliness, though her heart's dream of being a princess fell to dust with her other sister's words.

'Silly little Alice. That is because Mummy and Daddy gave all the ugliness to Bella. She is so plain! You could build Rapunzel's tower with all her plainness and ugliness, she is not one of us.'

'You're right Rosie. She is Bella the ugly duckling'

Rosalie and Alice chuckled at their dearest sister Bella as their words deteriorated her world and formed a name that would haunt her forever.

_End of Flashback_

The forest is almost ice-cold. I should have worn warmer clothes. No, I do not deserve warmth. An ugly person doesn't deserve warmth in a cold forest, especially if they are as plain as I am and will never be part of a family. Ah silly ugly Bella.

'Mock me you flawless trees, you may stand still but I hear your whispers, I see you shifting your branches away from me, away from my ugliness, just like everyone else. How do I live with myself, it's all my fault?'

'I deserve to be out casted!'

'I deserve to be hurt and punished!'

'I deserve to not have a family or be loved!'

'I will never be beautiful; I will always be the ugly duckling!'

I bowed my head against a sudden urge to sob my sorrows away, clenching my teeth together. All the pressure, the looks, the words, the taunts weighted me down. My legs collapsed onto the wet forest ground.

My whole body became limp, allowing gravity to pull me down, just like everyone else. Both my hands fell forward stopping my fall yet splashing me with Fork's grimy mud.

'Arr… revolting sticky mud. Ha…perfect for the horrid ugly duckling!'

'No. That's not true.'

My desperate attempt at laughing was hindered by a voice of velvet. I've heard that voice before.

_Flashback – Bella age 17, 1 day__ previous_

For many students the first back at school brings happiness for reuniting with friends and dread of the years work. However, for Bella the ugly ducking, it brought relief from being personal servant at home of her sister and parents to being the Queen Bee's favorite pass time tease, who so happened to be her dearest sisters.

'Ugly duckling. Hold our books' they coldly announced pushing both sets into Bella's weak arms.

'Don't trip' Rose snickered, leaving her left foot forward and allowing Bella to helplessly tumble over herself into the scattered books.

Closing her eyes, everything was silent for a moment, her arms and legs were not weak to the bone, and her closed lashes were not holding tears. There was just silence.

Then warmth; a voice of velvet.

'Here, I'll help you.'

Her sister's giggling halted as they stared in shock at the boy before them, while Bella was lost for words and begun to see a little bit of hope. Someone helped her. No one helped her. 'Maybe someone does care' she thought earnestly.

Organizing the scattered books into a neat pile the boy handed them back to her but before any blushes or thanks were formed, the taunting begun again. Apparently the evil sisters hadn't been frozen after all.

'Aww… the ugly duckling is getting help by the poor new nerdy kid' Alice pronounced jumping in excitement by the more chaotic torment they could cause.

'A vest and glasses. He has the look perfected' Rose grimaced.

'We have a nerdy nerd among our mist' Alice chuckled allowing both girls to burst into laughter.

The boy glared evilly at her sisters, sending chills down her back but beckoning them to laugh even harder.

Anger grew inside the boy but turning towards Bella, his emerald eyes softened at the fear ever so present but in those deep chocolate eyes he saw himself. His heart beat faster than ever before. So, he ran like any coward in fear of the only girl he believed the Goddess of Beauty hand picked.

The running figure ran with any hope she had left, tying her heart, and defeat shadowing her pale face.

Looking back at her sisters, Bella realised she loved her family but they would never love her. To them she was born ugly and would always be ugly. To be worth anything less than a present you did not want was to be Bella Cullen. The Cullen's ugly burden.

_Flashback__ – New nerdy and kind boy, 1 day pervious_

Being a nerd he of course stuck to the stereotypical clique of the nerdy table, at least they had intelligence, well at least in the mathematical department.

'Got a thing for her new kid?'

'I helped her and simply want to know her name' he replied anxiously waiting to find out her true name.

'Yuck! That is disgusting! You actually helped the ugly duckling?'

'Whats her name?' he asked exasperated by the people he thought were smarter than this. How could they actually believe the nonsense those putrid witches spoke, when they too are teased by them.

'Bella the ugly duckling, though otherwise known as Bella Cullen, triplets with Rosalie and Alice Cullen, the two most beautiful girls on the planet'

He was speechless by the fellow nerd. He could not believe the monstrosity he was hearing. They are family. Picking up his bag, he left the cafeteria glancing back at Bella, an angel that fell from the heavens above into a pit of darkness.

_End of Flashback_

Moving my glaze from the clear night sky to the puddle that immersed my hands, I saw a reflection of an angel. Bronze hair a messy array, thick black framed glasses hiding two bright emeralds, a sad crooked smile in place, and pale skin lighting the forest as the moonlight danced upon its smooth surface.

'You're Bella, right?' he asked in a gentle tone.

'Yes' I spoke in embarrassment, me ugly and all covered in mud right in front of the beautiful boy that helped me. Gee, now I am starting to resemble a duck.

'Then your awful sisters got one thing right.'

He knows my sisters. Great, he must know my whole dam history too. Huh? He thinks they were right. Yep, like everyone else he is going to tell me how ugly I am. Just get it over pretty boy! My family do it to me why not an angel as well?

'What is that?'

'You are beautiful'

'what…huh…umm..err' okay, I was not expecting that but that was the first time I have ever been called that and something about him made me believe it.

'Your name is Bella. It means beautiful. You are beautiful' he spoke from such passion with emerald eyes enchanting me with their intensity.

My pulse increased with my heart pumping sparkles throughout my body letting it glow from his words. A true smile touched my dry lips.

I saw humanity in his glazed eyes; he did care.

I felt good. I felt needed. I felt hope. I felt acceptance of who I am.

'Don't cry my beautiful Bella Swan'

His long smooth fingers wiped my fallen tear away with kindness and tenderness.

'Thank-you…'

'Edward and your welcome'

'Edward my prince in shining armor'

'But what about my noble steed'

'It doesn't matter if you have a horse, shinning armor or gold rings, you saved me. I had no hope, no hope to be me, no hope to live but you care, you helped me, you gave me hope.'

More warm tears escaped chasing each other down my soft cheeks only to be captured again by my prince Edward.

'You deserve all the gold the earth possesses'

'I could never!'

'Yes you do. I merely have known you for one simple day and I already understand that you are not a superficial doll trying please everyone or hurting people. You are not an ugly duckling Bella. You are strong, beautiful, and selfless. You are my Bella Swan. Your heart's compassion could fill Fork's entire forest and your smile warms my heart.'

His intense emerald eyes looked down at the end in embarrassment pulling me out of the intoxicated daze his words put me in by his sincere speech.

I want to see those beautiful eyes. I need to see those beautiful eyes.

Reaching out with my petite hands, I lifted his handsome face allowing us to glaze into each other's eyes.

The stars sparkled in his eyes dancing in joy of our friendship. Innocent and pure they played a melody with my heart bringing us closer together.

'Bella Swan, can I give you something'

'Why yes Prince charming you may. But whatever could it be in the middle of the forest?' I chuckled.

'My love'

The stars shone brighter as our lips met with the stars that danced in our eyes exploding into a meteor shower.

The wind encircled our bodies, together we stood, where destiny of love existed.

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I would also like to dedicate this to all the people who have ever been bullied in any way and to those who wish of acceptance. Life is a struggle but there is always hope and love and without it what is worth living, that's the beauty of life.

And thank-you for reading!


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